Electrical

Lamps

Radios

Gauges
Clock repair How to repair the clock in your Ghia.
Speedometer Repair (Note: although this is not electrical, it seemed logical to group it with gauges :-)

Trouble shoot your generator/regulator

Light on dash!! Could be a broken fan belt, or it could be the brushes in the generator need to be replaced, or...
Here are some trouble shooting tips to help keep you going.
First, buy some kind of a volt meter. I have one in my carry along tool kit that I picked up at a flea market for $8.00. I've used it a number of times and it has more than paid for itself. (Remember, the shops cost a minimum of $40 per hour.)
2. You need a couple of pieces of wire, preferably with clip leads on the end. You can pick them up from Radio Shack.
3. OK, now you want to determine if the generator is good. do this:

   a. Stop the engine.
   b. Remove the DF lead from the generator.
   c. Connect the + side of your volt meter to the D+ terminal on 
      the generator, and the - side to a good chassis ground.
   d. Be sure all the wires and tools are clear of the fan belt
      and start the engine.
   e. Connect one end of a jumper lead to the DF terminal on
      the generator.  While revving up the engine (just a little)
      with your left hand, touch the free end of the jumper to
      chassis ground.  The volt meter should indicate somewhere
      between 13 and 18 volts.

(NOTE: This is what the regulator does. It senses a low voltage condition and connects the DF terminal to ground. Now you know)

   f. If the meter doesn't indicate the voltage, check the
      brushes.  You should carry a spare set in your portable 
      tool box.  Just swap them out and run the test again.
   g. If the meter does indicate the proper voltage, the regulator
      is probably bad.  Not much to do here except swap it out.

Polarize the generator

You should do this anytime you replace a generator, or you can do it in place of the above to test the generator.

   a. Stop the engine.
   b. REMOVE THE FAN BELT. (You can burn out the generator if 
      you don't)
   c. Remove D+ and DF wires from generator.
   d. Connect the DF lead on the generator to chassis/battery
      ground.
   e. Use a jumper wire to connect battery + to the D+ side of
      the generator.  Just connect it temporarily.  
   f. The generator should start to turn, like a motor.  
      If it does, the generator is probably good, and it is now
      properly polarized.

Generator to Alternator conversion

The information contained in the following page was copied from Kymco Motor Sports

Click here for a description of how to wire an alternator in place of a generator.

Wiring

Do you really want/need to convert pre 67 cars to 12 volts?

Here is what Jim Patterson from House of Ghia has to say about it:

Q:I just bougt a 66 ghia that needs some work. Is there any disadvantage of keeping it a 6 volt system rather than a 12 volt system? Are 6 volt parts easy to come by? I live in Southern California. This is not my primary car to be driven around once in a while.

A:There are no significant disadvantages to 6V cars IF you are ready to firmly ground yourself in the world of the 1950's and 60's. Note, firmly gound yourself mean you CAN NOT have woofers and tweeters, ten kajillion watt stereos, dash mounted cigarette lighters with bake, barbeque and napalm settings, any cockpit controls that are other than human powered. And you must be willing to devote a Saturday afternoon once every, say, two months to preventive maintenance. If you attempt to lock the engine hood for 100,000 miles, as you are urged to do on some of today's new cars, you will suffer noticably degraded total vehicle performance at about 10,000; with the prospect of catastrophic failure before you reach 25,000 miles.

One elbow grease task 12V systems have just about eliminated, is the constant cleaning of terminals and connections needed to keep 6 Volt wire harness/battery connections fully effective. Dim head and taillites, sluggish starters, and the inablilty to run the wipers, lites and that puny AM only radio, all at one time, are almost always the result of corroded electrical connections.

Obtaining six volt parts are not a particular problem, IF you are willing to do mechanical repairs like they did in the '50's. THEN, THEY TRULY REPAIRED PARTS instead of merely replacing them. When is the last time you saw Lexus wiper motor brushes, Mercedes starter motor armatures or Mustang ignition switch tumblers for sale separately? All of these parts are readily available for 6 volt VW's. What isn't available are the talented mechanics who knew what to do with the stuff.

I would not be afraid to drive a well maintained 6 volt car cross country. I would cringe, however, if the previous owner of ten years or more, said, "Terminals? Clean what conections and terminals!"

Wiring diagrams
KARMANN-GHIA: Schéma électrique
From the French Karmann Ghia organization. Includes type 34 diagrams. By permission of French Ghia Resource

Diagrams 61 thru 74